UK Launches Bold Ocean Acidification Research Program

“The UK government has launched an £11m ($16m) five-year research programme into ocean acidification…

The study will focus on the Atlantic, Antarctic and Arctic oceans and assess how marine ecosystems are affected.

The programme, co-funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc), will also examine the implications for people and the economy.

“Ocean acidification will be one of the biggest environmental concerns of this century, with major and far-reaching impacts,” said Nature and Marine Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies.

“We need to understand much more about the scale and nature of the effect CO2 is having on our oceans and marine life.”

Scientists say ocean acidity has increased 30% since the Industrial Revolution, the fastest change in ocean chemistry for at least 65 million years.”